Button



April 23, 1935.

J. M. CLARK BUTTON Filed April 2, 1932 Patented Apr. 23, 1935 BUTTON John M. Clark, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Universal Button Fastening & Button Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application April 1932, Serial No. 602,702

2 Claims. (01. 24-90) ,This;..invention. relates: to buttons and among shank avoids undue. wrinkling or buckling of other. objects. aims to provide a durable decothe cloth at the botton hole. rative metal button atlow cost. During the formation of the button thefend .of The nature of the invention may be readilythe shank is formed witlra curveddie cup or understood by reference to. one illustrative butrecess l3 which serves to upset or bend a'pronged' ton embodying the'invention. andillustrated in attaching fastener. In case of attachment by a the: accompanying. drawing: double pronged fastener, theprongs are bent or Irrsaiddrawing: upset by'the curved surface M of the die cup Figl is atransverse section through the around'azbar IE or its equivalent extending transumrso stares PATENT OFFICE button; I versely across the die cup. Single pronged: fas Fig.2 isa plan view of. the top of the button; ten'ers are upset directly or indirectly by the and curved die surface so that the prong cannot be Fig. 3 is a sectionaLelevation of thebutton head withdrawn through the small opening into the covering shell before the latter has been affixed die cup through whichthe fastener prong enters.

-rto the button. The fasteners are generally made of steel so as 5 Buttons of the type to which this invention to penetrate without bending, any desired numrelates are largely employed on overalls and her of thicknesses of hard, close-textured cloth, workmens clothing. 'They should be durable to and therefore require an equally hard or harder prevent damage in thelaundryprocess, and they die surface to upset them. Aside from the adshould be rust proof to avoid rust stains on the vantage of low cost and strength, by making the garment. Preferably, t ebutton should'have a button from a solid steel blank, an adequately decorative top and be capable ofdisplaying a hard die surface M is provided by the die cup trade-mark or trade name inembossed or other formedin the steel blank itself and without the decoratively displayed characters. While: butaddition of other elements which would be necestons made from brass or the like answer these sary to assist in upsettinga fastener prong if qualifications, their cost underlcompetitive conthe button were formedof softer or more expen'-' ditions is prohibitive: Sheet metal buttons made sive metal. Indeed, in'the formation of the die of rust proof or other. sheet metal have'been cup the surface of the metal is compacted and largely used for the foregoingpurposes; but bemade verydens'e and substantially increased in 1 sides having a high manufacturing cost, they rehardness.

tain laundry fluids on their hollow interior which The steel button body is made rust proof in this later'escapeson or stain the garment. instance by cadmium plating. This plating while The illustrative button is particularly adapted admirable for protection 'doesnot possess the for the foregoing and other purposes, since it may requisite characteristics itself to serve as a superbe produced at low cost, is rust proof and. has an ficial decorative covering for the button head. attractively decorative or embossed head. It In the present case, the head of the button is covcomprises a solid soft steel body in consisting of ered by a specially prepared dyed thin aluminum an integral head II and shank l2. The button shell 16. The aluminum is colored while in sheet may advantageously be made from short sections form, thereby avoiding any treatment of the of rod or heavy wire stock of a diameter (slightly shells after they have been formed. 40 less than one-fourth inch in this instance) sub- The sheet aluminum is colored in the present stantially that of the shank l2 of the button. instance by applying aniline dye (generally to In forming the button the cylindrical wire blanks both faces of the sheet) and permitting it to penof the proper length are subjected at one end to etrate the porous surface of the sheet. The aluhead forming operations which gradually flatten minum which is naturally porous to some extent one end of the blank into a button head. The is rendered more porous by treating it (before the other end of the blank is held against substantial application of the dye) in an electrolytic bath lateral expansion and thus provides the shank with the aluminum sheet serving as theanode, of the button. The diameter of the button head the arrangement of electrodes being the reverse is largely governed by the selected initial length of that in electroplating. The flow of electric of the blank. Because of the inherent strength current instead of plating the sheet leaves the and rigidity of the solid soft steel shank of the surface in a substantially porous condition, the button, the shank may be made of a smaller dipores being of course microscopic in size and inameter than is practicable where the button is visible to the eye. The surface of the sheet theremade from sheet metal. The small diameter fore is of a character to permit substantial penetration by the dye so that it cannot be rubbed off either in the shell forming operations or in normal use of the button. Indeed, the dye or coloring is practically an integral part of the metal surface of the sheet and does not crack even when the metal is sharply bent. Intricate designs may be embossed in the shells without visibly disturbing the color.

The color is additionally protected against the action of strong washing fluids by applying a fluid lacquer to the sheet which penetrates the surface by entering the pores in the sheet and does not therefore exist merely as a superficial coating. Even though the surface lacquer is later worn off, the lacquer in the pores of the metal protects of strong washing and other fluids.

Because of the minute character of the pores in the sheet, the colored sheet assumes a highly polished effect which remains even through forming and embossing operations in which the metal may be sharply bent.

After formation of the shell which is provided with a crimping margin II, it is applied to the head of the button and the margin l1 crimped under the button head. As here shown (Fig. 1), the button head is marginally rabbeted at I8 to receive the crimping margin whose outer face thus lies flush with the under-surface of the button head.

A two tone effect may be produced on the shell by tumbling the finished button with a small quantity of mild abrasive such as powdered pumice stone. This wears down the color on the high points of the embossing IS on the shell either exposing the aluminum or changing the tone of the color. The cost of this operation is negligible as compared to the cost of producing two tone effects by means of enamel on embossed shells.

The inventive button compares favorably in cost (but is otherwise superior) with that of solid buttons having merely a decorative plating. In the latter case, the application of the decorative plating affects the efiiciency of the rust proof cadmium plating, and therefore impairs the rust resisting qualities of such a button, particularly since the action on the cadmium plating is not confined alone to the button head but extends over the entire surface of the button. In thepresent button, on the other hand, the cadmium plating of the steel body of the button remains with full efficiency, and the decorative rust proof shell is not only less expensive than other rust proof the color against deleterious effect ficially porous and being decorated shells but it surpasses any other shell in decorative qualities. Buttons may be produced with varying colors without changing the manufacturing process in any respect except to use aluminum sheet of the proper color. It is also possible by this method to secure a range of colors much greater than with enamel shells and at no increase in cost particularly as compared with the increase in cost in applying different special enamel colors to small batches of buttons.

Because of the wide color range of aniline dyes it is possible to provide button shells of a color to match a particular color of cloth. This is particularly desirable for childrens clothing where the matter of color harmony is important.

In sew-on buttons for childrens clothing, work shirts and the like, it is not necessary to embody a fastener upsetting die in the button. The inventive sew-on buttons may be made by stamping the button from the aforesaid dyed aluminum sheets of the desired color, andperforating the buttonblank to provide thread holes. Such buttons may or may not be embossed, and if embossed may be given a two-tone effect by tumbling as aforesaid.

Obviously the invention is not limited to the details of the illustrative button or the methods of manufacturing it since these may be variously, modified. Moreover it is not indispensable at all of the features be used conjointly, since various features may be used to advantage in different combinations and subcombinations.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A button of the character described comprising in combination a steel button body consisting of a head and shank and having a cadmium plating thereon, and a thin aluminum shell covering the head of the button, said shell being superpenetrated by a coloring dye and having applied thereto a protecting lacquer, said colored shell being formed with a decorative embossing on its top.

2. A button of the character described comprising in combination a steel button body consisting of a head and shank, and a thin aluminum shell covering the head of the button, said shell being superficially penetrable and being penetrated by a coloring dye and having applied thereto a protecting lacquer, said colored shell being formed with a decorative embossing on its top.

JOHN M. CLARK. 

